This page is almost exclusively dedicated to 6m and up - my passion within Amateur Radio.

Please note that I do not QSL via the bureau - E QSL or direct only. For those that wonder, I am a member of the RSGB.

Hi all,

I am determined that amateur radio stays in the family but having no luck in persuading my own children that radio is the greatest hobby on earth, I thought - I wonder if my grandaughter, Pippa would like to try radio. Fortunately she has taken to radio like a "duck to water" and in this pic you can almost imagine her asking "And what does this button do Grandad"?

Pipa has now grown a lot since the picture above was taken. She is always hungry and in the 1st picture below she is seen wondering "Have I really eaten ALL my food">>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Now my daugher (Katy) and grandaughter (Pipa) really like the seaside - here they are at Barry beach just after sunset and just before Christmas 2014

Those who are frequent visitors to the ON4KST VHF/UHF chat pages will have often heard me referring to my anti-radio, fierce wife. For those who cant believe how fierce she really is, here in the first shot is a picture to prove it (Pic 1) >>>>>>>>>>>>>.

Pic 1 Pic 2

However, if I don't mention amateur radio and give her lots of chocolate, she isn't fierce at all . (as in the second picture, Pic 2)

Now for a little competition - Where in the world is this place ? (its nothing to do with amateur radio of course, I just like the colours in the pic) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Now for the more serious stuff >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

My name is Lyn (shortened form of Lyndon) and my main Ham Radio interest is 2m DX and 6m QSOs with a particular interest in Sporadic E (Es) propagation. I have been using 2m SSB for over 40 years and my interest is as great now as when I made my first 2m SSB QSO in 1974 (using a Liner 2 for those that remember that rig). I am often QRV on 2m SSB and my first choice spot frequency is 144.310 (of course only if it's free). The use of 2m SSB unfortunately continues to decline, at least here in the UK despite my best efforts to keep SSB activity levels up. If you don't use 2m SSB now, please try it for a while, you may well be surprised at what you can work.

These days most of my QSOs on 2m are via meteor scatter (MS) using FSK441. If I am QRV and at home, I ensure that I make at least 1 MS QSO per day and frequently I will complete several MS QSOs each day. If you require a sked, please drop me an email (my email address is correct on this page) or use the ON4KST chat to arrange it. MS is a very useful way of working DX on the 2m band at distances from around 700kms and out to around 2000km (sometimes at greater distances too - my MS ODX is 2225km) and is an "always on" mode, i.e. it is available 365 days of the year and 24 hours each day. If you have never tried it I sugest you watch this video. It was filmed by G4DCV and its entitled "MS using FSK for beginners" and contains a talk I presented to the RSGB convention in September 2013 >>>> https://vimeo.com/77358505

I would also like to encourage others to try digital QSOs using JT65a on 2m and above. Using JT65a should enable tropo QSOs at distances up to around 800km each and every day from very average VHF QTHs such as mine. JT65a QSOs are possible when the VHF/UHF bands are very, very flat and where there is no tropo enhancement at all. If there is a marginal tropo opening however, using JT65a could allow very long distance QSOs to be completed where QSOs using CW or SSB may not be possible.

Although I use only a small antenna (a 9 el Tonna) I have found that I can also make QSOs using EME. Unfortunately I have a non-elevating antenna and I live in a very noisy enviroment so opporuntities for successful EME QSOs are somewhat limited. I can only make successful EME QSOs when the moon is just rising and when it is rising to the north east (the only direction where noise here is reasonably low.

So far I have completed EME QSOs with the following stations :-

04/04/2014 HB9Q JN47 -23 -- 05/04/2014 I2FAK JN45 -28 -- 07/04/2014 UA3PTW KO93 -24 (new locator) and 07/04/2014 DK3WG JO72 -25. More recently I have also worked RU1AA (KP40), RX1AS (KO59), OZ1LPR (JO44), RK3FG (KO86), DK5SO (JN58), I3MEK (JN55), DM2BHG (JO51) and ES3RF (KO29) on this mode. I have also worked some of the stations listed here more than once.

Pictures of my station for the bands that I currently operate on (10m to 20m, 6m, 4m, 2m and 70cms) follow :-

Many recent changes - new Pics here ASAP

Shack - part 1

Shack - part 2

The equipment I currently use is :--

For 2m - my favourite band : A Kenwood TS2000e, a Yaesu FT-991 or an Icom IC-7100 driving a solid state amp - a Beko 1kw SSPA (restricted to 400w max at the antenna feedpoint), a SSB Electronics SP200 masthead LNA and a 9 element Yagi at 11m agl with fixed 5 degrees of elevation (for more optimum meteor scatter results)

Most hams can show pictures of their enormous 2m arrays but space for large aerials here does not exist - so here is a picture of my very modest 2m antenna................................

My 2m antenna - its at 33ft agl

For 6m : A Yaesu FT-991 (100w out) and a 2 el Yagi with 5 degrees of elevation (great for European Es QSOs). Recently I have started to try MS using JT6m on this band and I have been amazed at my success considering the small station I have on 6m.

For 4m : An Icom IC-7100 (50w only out) and a 2 el Yagi.

70cms : A Kenwood TS2000e at 50w to a 9 element Yagi. (I can only use 70cms when I put up a temporary mast in the garden so I am not QRV too often on this band)

HF : Occassionally I use the HF bands (20 to 10m) and when I do I use my FT-991 at 100w with either a multiband dipole (just 2m above ground) or an I-Pro vertical (3m long and ground mounted - pic at the end of this page)

My QTH is in a NW suburb of Cardiff at about 30m asl with a good take off from NE through to SE. However, my takeoff to the N is very poor - as the following picture shows (taken from my garden facing north). The Welsh mountains make working anyone in that direction very difficult.

North View

However, my take off to the North East, East and to the South East is unrestricted. It is difficult to show good pictures of these better takeoffs (I can't show the view as seen by my antenna as I would need to climb onto the roof), so this is the best that I can do (quality not too good - taken from upstairs room through glass). This picture is as seen looking to the East North East and the view is partially obscured by the trees and other houses. You can see that the further my antenna is turned to the East from North, the better my take off becomes. You can just see the distant edge of the hills as they dip to the costal plain in the centre of the picture.

East North East View

My home and QTH is in the city of Cardiff. Cardiff is the Capital of Wales, its largest city and the 10th largest city in the UK. Around 350,000 people live within the city and its suburbs. Cardiff is also a significant tourist centre and is the most popular visitor destination in Wales with 18.3 million visitors during 2010. My home is is situated within the suburb of Llandaff (itself a city within a city as Llandaff Cathedral is situated right in the centre of the village.)

Here are some pictures of our Cathedral (Taken on the 5/12/12) - its located about 1 mile from my house >>>>>>>>>>>>

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Just 8 miles south of Cardiff is our nearest sandy beach. This beach is at Barry Island and the following two pictures are of the beach there. These were taken on a sunny afternoon on the 30th of December 2014 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

And here is a picture of my house>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I am a keen collector of locator squares and I am always on the lookout for new ones. In May 2006 I lost all my records and since then, after starting from scratch, I have manged to work 330 locator squares on the 2m band.

You will note that my ODX on tropo is to the Canary Islands (EA8). Despite a poor takeoff to the SW, in the very best of openings I can work to the Canary Islands on tropo over rising ground just behind my antenna. I have been fortunate to work a number of squares there in several openings since 2006 - working EA8 via tropo is one of the few benefits of living in the SW of the UK. Several Es events to EA8 have also provided my ODX for this type of propagation and these distances will be hard to beat with my current setup. As I have only worked a few stations during Aurora since 2006, it was easy to see who was the ODX (GM4VVX in IO78). Prior to 2006 aurora were far more intense and distances worked greatly exceeded this. (More distant countries worked on SSB during aurora prior to 2006, included EA, I, 9A, OE, HB9, South F, OK and SP with odx to a SP8 in KO12 and a 9A in JN65)

During good tropo openings you may hear me from my portable location in IO81LS, near Abergavenny, South Wales. The portable site is around 550m asl with a fantastic take off from NE through to South and is perfect for working DX deep into Europe. This spot is on the very edge of the Welsh mountains and there is no higher ground until my RF reaches Germany. Best DX from there on tropo was to HA8CE in KN06 square. When portable my current setup (2m only) is a Yaesu FT857d, a 200 watt amp (Microset SR-200) and a 6 element long yagi (from Sandpiper - a local supplier) at 6m agl on a portable mast..

Latest 2m DX news >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> (this hasn't been updated for a while - new updates soon)

25/03/2015

I completed 2 more EME QSOs today ES3RF (KO29) - a new intial,intial number 13 and RK3FG (KO86)

27/02/2015

As the moon rose in my quiet direction today, I tried some more EME. I completed QSOs with DM2BHG (JO51) intial number 12, I3MEK (JN55) and RK3FG (KO83). I was also copied by some others off the moon including surprisingly, VK5APN.

10/02/2015 and 11/02/2015

There was some tropo here and I was able to complete several DX QSOs from home with DL and OZ stations from home on the 10th. On the 11th I opertated from my /P QTH in IO81LS at 550m ASL. ODX from the /P site was SP4MPB in KO03ht at 1605km - a good distance considering I was not right in the tropo duct.

29/01/2015

Today the moon rose in my quiet direction (to the north east) and another opportunity to make some more EME QSOs arose.I completed 2 QSOs with new stations, DK5SO and I3MEK before the moon rose out of my antenna lobe and went into my noisey directions (any heading south of due east)

07/01/2015

Today I manged to complete with HA0DU in KN07TM using meteor scatter FSK441. Amazing considering the distance (1843km), the poor meteor rate and the fact that Steve only uses 50w to a 6 element yagi at 8m AGL. KN07 was a new locator for me so I was very grateful for the patience Steve displayed. Thanks Steve

28/11/2014

Today I worked a new locator using FSK MS thanks to a QSO with Martin, GM6VXB/P in rare locator IP90. My locator total now stands at 329.

05/11/2014

Today I worked a new intial and new locator using EME JT65b thanks to an EME QSO with RK3FG in KO86hp. My locator total now stands at 328.

26/02/2014

New locator number 314 was worked today thanks to a MS QSO with Alex, EB5AL in IN90wb. Alex uses just 100w to a 9el yagi with no preamp and working him over my obstructed path to the south was a real challenge but after a fairly long QSO, we managed to complete the QSO successfully

07/01/2014

The Quadrantids shower was very good this year and I made a number of MS QSOs either just under 2000km or just over 2000km OH4LA in KP20LG produced outstanding bursts when I made a QSO with him near the shower's peak. OH3KLJ in KP21PH at 2042km was the ODX in this shower and a new locator, KN28, was worked courtesy of a QSO with UW8SM (KN28IV). I had been waiting to work KN28 for very many years and so was very pleased when the QSO was completed.

14/12/2013

A MS QSO with SP5QAT in KO02 provided yet another new locator for me. ODX on MS in this years Geminids shower was YL2FZ in KO37QI at 2067km. Although this was not a new locator for me, the QSO provided YL2FZ with a new DXCC and a new locator too - Valdis was very happy.

23/08/2013

Another new locator worked on MS FSK today - the rare IO99IW, thanks to a QSO with Martin, GM6VXB/P

08/08/2013 - 13/08/2013

The Perseids meteor shower was one of the best I have experienced here. I completed my MS ODX at 2225 km and worked 6 new locators.

A late season Es opening occured during the evening of the 13th. It was very spoty here though and I managed just 2 QSOs in the south of Spain.

05/08/2013

Another new rare locator worked on MS FSK this evening- JP75DB - Thanks to a QSO with Peo, SM5EPO/3

29/07/2013

Another new locator worked today using MS FSK, this time its JP51NX courtesy of a QSO with Morten, LA9DFA operating at his holiday QTH.

26/07/2013

2 new rare locators worked on MS today - JP30 and JO98

07/07/2013 to 12/07/2013

A fantastic tropo opening in this period allowed me to work the new locators JN13, JN04, JN05, JN17 and JO37. I was able to work stations from LA/SM/OZ to the NE, Poland, Czech Republic and east DL in the east, to the SE - HB9 and also south into S France and EA. ODX was to SN7L in JO70ss at 1311km. Perhaps more to come in the next days too. The only LA worked was LA/DK2BJ in JO37NX ( A very rare locator). As at 12:26 on the 12th there is still tropo popagation here in IO81JM

02/07/2013

A short Es opening this evening enabled me to work I8KRO/8 in JM88AR - this was a new locator for me. Later in the activity contest, I worked another new locator on tropo thanks to GI7RAU/P in IO65XC. 2 new locators in one evening - that is very good and I am happy.

29/06/2013

I worked a new rare locator on 2m FSK MS this morning - SM3RPQ in JP74BT. This locator is very rare on 2m and I was very pleased to complete a QSO with Leif .

At 0801 a short 2m ES event took place. IV3GTH in JN65RU was heard for several minutes but the Es was very unstable so no QSO was completed.